Did you know garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) are a super food? Yup, they are!

Try as I might, I just can’t figure out why they are seemingly always left off of “Top Healthiest Foods” lists. I have to believe that these poor legumes are simply often overlooked and forgotten. They should not only be on these kinds of lists, they should be near the top! I’m not a professional dietitian, but I’ve done quite a bit of research on this subject, so please, let me explain.

Chickpeas are packed with good stuff — fibre, magnesium, iron, protein, carbohydrates — and that’s just the beginning!

This is really just the tip of the iceberg, but I must move on to tell you how much your kids will love this snack! And how happy does that make you, now knowing the health benefits?!

My husband and I love these with the cayenne pepper, tossed in a yummy veggie stir fry! My kids, love them sans cayenne pepper and simply as a snack. Yay!

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chilli powder

2 teaspoons brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.

Drain the garbanzo beans into a strainer and rinse them with cold water. Cover a large plate or baking sheet with paper towels to dry the beans.

Once dry, in a medium mixing bowl, mix the beans with the oil, cumin, chilli powder, sugar, salt and if you like it hot, the cayenne.

Pour the mixture on the foil lined baking sheet and roast in the 400 degree F oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. In the middle of the roasting process, use a metal spatula or spoon to turn the beans, so all of the sides brown evenly.

Let them cool on the baking sheet.

*Please note that the chilli powder in the ingredient list is regular chilli powder, one you’d use to make chilli — it’s not hot.